SHAWMUT CENTER NAMING RIGHTS INCLUDED IN FLEET MERGER

The $3.7B acquisition of Boston's Shawmut Bank by Fleet
Financial Group or Providence, RI, includes naming rights to the
new Boston Garden, which was to have been called the Shawmut
Center. According to this morning's BOSTON GLOBE, Fleet CEO
Terrence Murray said an actual name won't be chosen for "about
two weeks." But Fleet Forum has been mentioned (Pham & Reidy,
BOSTON GLOBE, 2/22). Columnist Michael Gee suggests that New
Boston Garden Corp. President Larry Moulter not place the Fleet
logo on center ice too quickly, considering the instability of
the corporate world. "Big fish get swallowed by even bigger fish
all the time. The new Garden isn't due to open until September.
By that time it might have to be named the Citibank Center, the
Credit Agricole Center, the Nomura Securities Forum, or the
Bundesbank Barn" (BOSTON HERALD, 2/22).